Don't Fear The Reaper

        Trixie trotted slowly deep inside the Everfree Forest. The sound of leaves and sticks cracked under her two hooves. A frown adorned her face as tears flowed down her cheeks. I never meant to cause so much trouble. All I wanted was to be accepted by everypony, She thought sadly. ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie is a joke.

After a few minutes, she fell against a tree. ‘What’s the point of going on when I have nothing left? I might as well just end it now...

Trixie, with a twitching hand, searched inside her cape for a pocket with all the potions she had bought from Zecora. Once she found it, she rummaged through the pocket, pulling out many different bottles until she found the one she wanted. The last bottle was a green liquid that bubbled, and radiated heat constantly with a pony skull label stuck to the side.

This was Trixie’s potion mainly used for a flash bang during a stage performance. She would add other chemicals to change the color of the fog, and when it was in it’s gas form, it was completely harmless. But in it’s liquid form it could disintegrate anything it touches.

As Trixie stared at the bottle, tears started flowing profusely down her face, her hands shaking uncontrollably. With nopony to care for her, her wagon completely dismantled, and her name now a smeared in the mud, the only option she had left was to drink the contents of this bottle.

She lifted the potion up into the moonlight. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is better off dead than living in a world where she is not welcomed.” Her finally words were grim and hatefilled. If somepony had only given her the time of day, then maybe she wouldn’t have to resort to such a cruel end.

As if in slow-motion, she lowered the bottle to face, hands still twitching and tears flowing from her face to her bosom. The bottle soon reached her lips, and she could smell the strong fumes of the liquid, burning the insides of her nose. It wasn’t fully in its gaseous state, so it still had the potential destroying the senses.

Trixie tilted the bottle back, letting the liquid flow into mouth. At first contact, a powerful pain shot through her body. The pain quickly subsided from the liquid instantly killing her. The potion melted everything in it’s path. First her tongue and then eating everything else in it touched, until her insides were completely non-existent and the liquid fell through a hole it created in  the back of her head. There was no blood. Only the green toxic liquid falling onto the ground killing the plants around her, and quickly evaporated into the air.

It was a quick but disgusting death. Even if somepony wanted to stop the liquid’s effects, it was too late. Once the potion touched a living thing there was no stopping it. Trixie’s body laid out against the tree, no mouth, chest disintegrated, and the rest of her slowly disappearing in thin air.

*        *        *

        Soulless Reaper’s dark, red eyes shot open as he let out a low exasperated sigh. He knew what has happened, and the time to act was upon him. With massive gates to tartarus behind him, he stepped out to the entrance of the cave and into the moonlight. His three-pronged scythe shined from the light, and his black, white mane and black coat flapped in the wind as he stared into the moon. ‘Goddess what strange timing for a job... I can’t believe somepony would off themselves on such a beautiful night,’ He thought sadly.

        He shrugged. “Well... I don’t really have a choice in the matter, now do I?” he said grimly, an emotionless look across his face.

        It was not unusual for death to spring up at such random moments. Reaper has dealt with a lot of them in his time, but it was, however, strange that it would occur out in the middle nowhere of the Everfree Forest. He would always have to travel above it to reach Ponyville in times of death, but never has had to go through it to find the body... That is, if there was any of the body left. But that wasn’t important, all he needed was to help the poor soul.

        He moved out from the entrance, into the plain grass area right before the entering the Everfree Forest. He slid his scythe onto the back of his coat and slowly made his way deep into the forest. Owls screeched in the distance, and the howl of Timber wolves echoed all around him as he walked slowly, hands inside his coat pockets. Staring at nothing in particular, Reaper turned when he needed to turn, and by each step he could feel the mare’s soul signal getting stronger and stronger.

        After about ten minutes or so, he stopped and turned directly right, and there it was, almost completely gone from the potion’s effects. ‘Trixie Lulamoon’ Reaper thought. ‘What a shame.’

 He soon pulled out his scythe, dragged it out in front him, and tapped the bottom of to the ground twice before he said his chant.

“A pony that is now deceased,  I have come here in peace, to take you to the gates of tartarus.”

Soon enough, after he said this, Trixie’s soul floated up out of what was left of her corpse, still crying as she wiped away a tear.

Reaper frowned at the sight. This was always the hardest part of the job. As much as he wanted to comfort the pony to ease her troubles, he could never come up with right words. All he could do was take them to the gates, and let his brother do the rest. This may have been hard part, but handing them off to his brother was the worst. He feared for what lay in store for Trixie.

He logged the thought away as he turned around. Why should he care what happens to the pony’s soul once inside? It wasn’t his responsibility. He had one simple job, and that was it.

“Follow,” Reaper said flatly as he walked back to the gates.

Trixie had no other choice and complied, floating right behind him still crying. She looked over the stallion taking her to tartarus. He had a thick, black jacket on with the hoodie over his head. Along with black pants that had a hole for his black and white, three prong tail to stick out. He walked on big, black boots while leaning against his scythe. His presence made her shiver, but yet, she was not scared. She couldn’t get an accurate read on him, unless she got him to talk, but it seemed by his cold shoulder and quiet demeanor he was not going to.

“So why did you do it?”

“Wh-what?” Trixie stuttered some, surprised by the sudden question and still choked up from her crying.

Reaper felt that their short journey was getting too uncomfortable for his taste, and decided that he should start a conversation.

He turned around asked again, a bit more nicely this time, “I said, so why did you do it?”

        Trixie was not sure how to answer this question. The first time he asked, it didn’t seem like he actually cared, but now there was slight change in his tone. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not wish to speak of her recent actions.” Though he may have been more kind with his words this time, she was not willing open up to a complete stranger.

        Reaper rolled his eyes and then continued to walk. “Alright, be like that. I was just trying to start a pleasant conversation.”

        “How is talking about her death a “pleasant” conversation?” Trixie said, slightly annoyed by the idea.

        “You know... I have no idea. I’ll be honest, I never really talk to many of the souls I bring to the gates, so I wasn’t sure how to begin,” He said.

Trixie relaxed, now realizing he didn’t mean anything by it. He must deal with death all the time, and thought it would be normal to ask about hers. “Well fine, but The Great and Powerful does not wish to speak of it.”

Reaper nodded, and stayed silent for the rest of their journey. The eerie sounds of the forest continued as they made their way. Trixie rubbed her shoulder; even her ghostly form she could still feel the chill of night upon her skin. ‘How bizarre,’ She thought. ‘As a soul I can still smell and feel things.’

“Um, excuse me Mr... uh.”

“The name is Soulless Reaper,” He said, pushing a branch out his face.

‘What a strange name,’ Trixie thought curiously.

“Ah, right... Well, Mr. Reaper, I was wondering why I still have all my senses as a ghost? I’ve always thought that one would lose those when you die.”